Hotlinking to images and documents on other sites

In this post, I will explain the policies on linking to images, files and documents in other sites.

Hotlinking to images and documents on other sites

If you like to show an image or document in your posts, they must be uploaded to the post. You are NOT allowed to link to images/documents on other websites.

Images

If you like to use images in your posts, they must be attached to the post, provided you own the image. You are not allowed to take images from internet and use it in your posts.

Hotlinking to images in other sites are strictly not allowed.

Hotlinking means using HTML to link to an image hosted in another site and display it in our site without really attaching the image in the post. Hotlinking to other sites have multiple issues:

1. Hotlinking uses the bandwidth of the other site to show an image in your post. This is almost same as lighting a bulb in your home by plugging the wire in to your neighbors house!

2. If you hotlink to an image in another site, our posts will become dependent on the other site. If the site goes down or remove the image from that url, our post will become without the image.

Hotlinking is illegal and against the policy of our site.

Documents

The hotlining rules apply to documents as well. If you want to refer readers to a document in another site, do not provide a link directly to the file. Instead, give a link the page in the other site which has the download link.

The other option is, attach the document to your post in this site. However, we do not allow attaching any kinds of documents that are violating copy rights. Typically, you should not upload a document unless you made it.

Even if other sites do not explicitly mention it, all documents and files are copy righted to the person who made it.